Global South countries hope to push for a more just, reasonable and fairer international order through the BRICS and other international or regional organizations, said Zhang Ming, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Zhang attended the "BRICS Plus" leaders' dialog held during the 16th BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan on Thursday.
In an interview with China Global Television Network on the sidelines of the event, he said the speeches made by the participating leaders are quite similar to those at the SCO summits because they reflect the common wishes of developing countries.
"We are all members of the Global South and facing the same challenges and difficulties, with the same pursuit, which is the modernization of the Global South, the modernization of the SCO member states, and that of the BRICS countries. In short, it is the pursuit for the modernization of all developing countries," said Zhang.
The meeting lasted about seven hours, which is very rich in content and shows developing countries' high expectations for the BRICS, a group of major emerging economies in the world, according to Zhang.
"Various parties have expressed high expectations for the BRICS. They hope they can jointly push for a more just, reasonable and equitable international political and economic order through the BRICS and other regional organizations made up by developing countries. This conforms to the interests of humankind, the planet and the developing countries," Zhang said.
BRICS began with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and has now evolved into an influential international cooperation mechanism with an expanded membership.
Besides the countries that officially joined the BRICS family on Jan 1, 2024, over 30 countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye and Azerbaijan have either formally applied for or expressed interest in the membership.
BRICS could help promote more just, fairer international order: SCO chief
The 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival is underway in east China's famous water-town, gathering global artists to celebrate the art of performance and have cultural exchanges amidst the stunning backdrop of ancient canals and alleys.
The grand event opened on Oct 17 in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, under the theme of "solidity." The 11-day festival is divided into six sections - specially invited plays, outdoor carnival, emerging theatre artists' competition, Wuzhen dialogues, drama fair and granary reverie.
The dazzling ancient town carnival offers visitors more than 2,000 outdoor theatrical performances, including puppet shows, mimes and magic shows. At the same time, there is an installation art exhibition brought by the China Academy of Fine Arts on the Xishi River flowing through the water town.
This year, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival features 24 specially invited plays from 11 countries, five of which were performed for the first time in the world. The highly-anticipated dramas include "We Are Leaving" brought by Polish Nowy Teatr, "En attendant Godot" produced by Chinese director Meng Jinghui, and "River/Cloud" of Stan Lai Shengchuan, an American-born Chinese theatre director.
A total of 11 stages have been set up in the Wuzhen scenic area, some of which were built in the open air or near the water, for the specially invited plays, providing an impressive experience for the audience.
The emerging theatre artists' competition, previously known as the "Youth Competition," is also a major part of the festival, with the purpose of establishing a platform on which promising young artists can develop original works.
Another eye-catching event at the festival is the long street banquet, where theatre producers and media workers from all over the world sit around hundreds of square tables that are laid end to end without a gap along the ancient street. Enjoying the antique architectures and local cuisine, the participants can easily but deeply communicate across language barriers and cultural differences in a convivial atmosphere.
The entire town of Wuzhen, which has a history of more than 1,300 years, is transformed into a stage, and theatre lovers all over the world are invited to enjoy this tantalizing feast of the theatrical arts.
"Artists from across the world are gathering here sharing their passions in such a lovely night in Wuzhen. What everyone can feel is a unique lifestyle blending the tenderness of an ancient town where streams meander tranquilly under slender arches with contemporary arts mirroring our era. I think everyone can sense the aspiration for a beautiful life here. We pursue beauty and compassion, hope to explore the world in an artistic way, and also hope to demonstrate to the the whole world the glamor of our times," said Huang Lei, executive director of Wuzhen Theatre Festival.
Vibrant activities at Wuzhen Theatre Festival highlight charm of performance arts
